The present invention relates to an electrical connector. More specifically, the present invention relates to an electrical connector mountable on a substrate and having connector pins for connection to various signal lines from a printed circuit on the substrate.
Connectors of this type include what are known as "USB connectors". Referring to FIG. 7 and FIG. 8, the structure of such a connector is shown. A conventional electrical connector (USB connector) 1 has a main unit 2 with a plurality (four, in the example shown in the drawings) of connector pins 3 disposed in a row along a bottom surface of main unit 2. Connector pins 3 have first ends at a front of main unit 2 and second ends toward the back of main unit 2. Connector pins 3 are bent downward toward the back so that they project downward from the bottom surface of main unit 2. Connector pins 3 are inserted integrally with main unit 2 and extend parallel to each other. A socket shield 4 having two substrate fixing claws 4a surrounds the upper and lower surfaces and the two side surfaces of main unit 2. Fixing claws 4a project downward from opposing sides of the lower surface of socket shield 4.
Main unit 2 is formed from an insulative material such as molded resin. Connector pins 3 are formed from a conductive material. Second ends of connector pins 3 that extend downward project downward from the bottom surface of main unit 2 and through socket shield 4. During mounting, second ends of connector pins 3 pass through holes disposed on a mounting substrate 5. Once connector pins 3 are positioned correctly, they are electrically connected by soldering connector pins 3 to the lower edge of the holes in mounting substrate 5. First ends of connector pins 3 are exposed within main unit 2 toward the front of main unit 2. When a connection plug (not shown) is inserted into electrical connector 1, the exposed ends of connector pins 3 make electrical contact with contact sections of the connection plug.
Socket shield 4 includes a thin plate material which is bent to surround main unit 2. When socket shield 4 is mounted on the substrate, its bottom surface contacts the upper surface of mounting substrate 5. Fixing claws 4a fit against an engagement section (not shown in the drawings) disposed on mounting substrate 5, thereby fixing socket shield 4 to mounting substrate 5.
The engagement of substrate fixing claw 4a with the engagement section of mounting substrate 5 fixes socket shield 4 and electrical connector 1 to mounting substrate 5. The second ends of connector pins 3 are soldered at the bottom end of the through hole on substrate 5. This provides an electrical connection with a circuit formed on the bottom surface of mounting substrate 5.
When electrical connector 1 mounted on mounting substrate 5 in this manner, a connector plug attached to the end of a connector cable is inserted from the front of main unit 2 so that contact points of the connector plug contact the first ends of connector pins 3. Thus, the contact points of the connector plug are electrically connected to the connecting sections formed on mounting substrate 5 via connector pins 3 of electrical connector 1.
However, in electrical connector 1 structured in this manner, the mechanical fixing and supporting on mounting substrate 5 is performed solely by the engagement of substrate fixing claw 4a of socket shield 4 and the engagement section disposed on mounting substrate 5. Thus, electrical connector 1 is fixed or supported to mounting substrate 5 toward the rear of socket shield 4, while there is no particular support toward the front of socket shield 4.
If an improper force is applied to electrical connector 1 during the insertion or removal of the connector plug, the front of socket shield 4 moves vertically, resulting in mechanical pinching. This results in a detrimental load being applied to substrate fixing claw 4a of socket shield 4 so that socket shield 4 is deformed or in the worst case, disengaged from mounting substrate 5. Repeated occurrences of the improper force being applied to electrical connector 1 shorten the useful life of the electrical connector since the mechanical pinching gradually wears substrate fixing claw 4a and mounting substrate 5. After a while, the mechanical connection between fixing claw 4a and mounting substrate 5 becomes loose and ineffective for holding electrical connector 1 in place.